I said, never again would I build another Trumpeter kit in 1/700 as they are rubbish. Guess what? I’m now building their HMS Ark Royal in 1/700

[Exkiwiforces]

I have also started another carrier build as I’ve decided to finish the RN Destroyers, Cruiser  and Minelayer alongside the the two  DKM Z classes during the wet season as I would more home bound during the wet season and be able to devote more attention to them. Hopefully once they are done a start on some DKM battle wagons as well.

 

This HMS Ark Royal by Trumpeter in 1/700. I always said I would never go to back to Trumpeter after my DKM Admiral Hipper build, but now back have a crack at this one. I won’t be doing to much to this build in the way of PE, but just a enough to make it look good as I have another carrier that I would to start and finish before the Nth’ern Oz wet season kicks in for the 20/21.

 

The green painting tape is there to stop me from going completely bonkers with adding the railing in places where those little floaty ships/ boats or whatever the pirates call them.

 

 

 

[Terry1954]

I have one of these in the stash so will follow with much interest. 

 

Terry

[Exkiwiforces]

8 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

I have one of these in the stash so will follow with much interest. 

 

Terry

I’m not that impressed so far, especially if you don’t have any additional ship plans at your fingertips. Also I’ve noticed a few gaps here and there especially during a trial fit of the flight deck. Still tossing up weather to get some small ships boats off Shapeways or the ships guns as well. The Radar fit out I might use from a extra set of PE I purchased for my other carrier build. 

 

I was hoping this build would good to do as I want to their two DKM Carriers down the track. Anyway I’ve started so I must crack on and get it finished before I start on HMS Hermes.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Depending on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go, the Merit 1/350 Ark has suspiciously identical errors, so my build might help you with some refs if you want to address them.  On the other hand, though the Merit version has plenty of flaws, the fit is actually very good, so it’s not all bad...

[Exkiwiforces]

On 11/08/2020 at 02:33, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Depending on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go, the Merit 1/350 Ark has suspiciously identical errors, so my build might help you with some refs if you want to address them.  On the other hand, though the Merit version has plenty of flaws, the fit is actually very good, so it’s not all bad...

Cheers for that,

 

I had to pop to it last night to confirm that the Ark didn’t have Radar, I remember we did have a discussion on this time ago and I couldn’t be bothered heading over to the man in the shed last night as well.

 

Two questions I do have, is there any doors/ hatches or whatever you pirates call them for the twin 4.5in guns? As I can find only the ready use lockers on the plans I have. Did the .5 quads and Search lights have the same access or was that via ladders from the flight deck?

 

Because of issue of gluing the both half’s to another, I’ve had to add the rear bulkheads in and  as a result the stern railings are on the outside edge and not on the inside as per the plans.

 

Apart from that, I’m trying to keep this as simple as I can, without going to overboard with any extra detail atm.

[Exkiwiforces]

Because of issue of gluing the both half’s to another, I’ve had to add the rear bulkheads in and  as a result the stern railings are on the outside edge and not on the inside as per the plans.

The bow railings are and were a lot easier to do than my other carrier build.

 

 

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

On 8/12/2020 at 12:56 PM, Exkiwiforces said:

Two questions I do have, is there any doors/ hatches or whatever you pirates call them for the twin 4.5in guns? As I can find only the ready use lockers on the plans I have. Did the .5 quads and Search lights have the same access or was that via ladders from the flight deck.

4.5” sponsons accessed from for’d or aft (weapon-related machinery areas) with no apparent door between them and the gun.  Small ammo hoist in corner of sponson (sufficiently insignificant / invisible that I’m not going to depict it), plus the RU lockers.

 

44” Searchlight & 0.5” Vickers MG sponsons accessed via short ladder down from flight deck.

 

All info from builders’ plans.

 

[Doors are between horizontal spaces - from “room to room”; hatches vertical - from “floor to floor”]

[Exkiwiforces]

 

Nice quiet afternoon today, did a bit of tidying up. Packed away the other carrier build until the other bits & bobs arrive in the post.

I primed the hull of the Ark this afternoon and a few pieces for the other carrier build which will be put away for the time being.

 

 

I removed some plastic railing from where the .5 quads are positioned and where the 2pdr’s in front of the superstructure. The one closest to the island requires some bog and sanding which is tomorrow’s job.

 

Did some ferreting around yesterday afternoon while I trying to find an painting instruction sheet for my WW2 HMS Hermes Carrier by Flyhawk. I found some guns for my Ark Royal build. I have 4 8 barrel 2pdr pom-pom guns from 3D parts and 8 .5 quad Guns from Flyhawk as I feel both sets supplied by Trumpeter  are bit over scaled? I was quietly hopping I had some 3D HACS, but alas I had none.

 

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by Exkiwiforces

[Exkiwiforces]

Well I finally finished painting the Forward and rear of the Ark Royal with some added chains for the anchors. Not sure if anyone will see them once the flight deck is on? I’ve used an off white for the stern deck as most of the pictures I’ve seen of the Ark appear to be white?

 

 

Started to paint the Carley Floats and remove the doors on the lower part of the superstructure and have replaced them with a bit of brass to represent the sliding doors? Also started on the 4.5in guns as well today.

 

 

 

 

Trying to find out if the gun bays for the 4.5 are painted wood or something kind of painted metal deck colour? 
If it’s a painted metal deck as for the superstructure, it looks like I’m off to buy more of Jamie’s paints from Sovereign Colourcoats yet again and I’m wondering now if I had brought shares in Sovereign Colourcoats as I’m starting to build a collection of paints while also acting as a salesman for Sovereign Colourcoats at encouraging others to use these paints. Starting to wish I had started my HMS Hermes instead?

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

4.5” gun bays had wooden decks; so did the quarterdeck and most of the cable deck.  Nowhere else.

[Exkiwiforces]

On 19/08/2020 at 20:56, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

4.5” gun bays had wooden decks; so did the quarterdeck and most of the cable deck.  Nowhere else.

Cheers for that, the kit is fairly in defined as to whether the it’s wood or steel deck for 4.5in gun bay, the cable deck and the quarterdeck. I’ve also noticed that the small ships boats maybe incorrect as well which is not a good look?

BTW, what’s your plan for the two forward mounted PomPom guns? As I’ve seen different mounted versions to what the instructions say?

 

And one question what was the overall colour to the around 1941 to it’s final demise? Again I’ve seen a two tone dark grey of 507A & 507C on the lower hull with paint peeling showing 507C on the upper half of the hull after it received a beating in the Atlantic Ocean. As I have cunning plan to depict it after one of its Atlantic Ocean sorties with a technique I haven’t used since Art classes at  intermediate and high school. 

 

The other I’m thinking is around during the Battle of Norway, which I’ve just finished a couple of Ebook’s on the subject on Kindle. Was it 507C or 507A? 

Edited August 20, 2020 by Exkiwiforces

[Exkiwiforces]

BTW, not much done today on the build. Just finished off the 4.5in guns, painted the Carley Floats and ordered more of Jamie’s paints as I’m not going bush next week as my 1tone British Tank is going in for it’s service.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

50 minutes ago, Exkiwiforces said:

Cheers for that, the kit is fairly in defined as to whether the it’s wood or steel deck for 4.5in gun bay, the cable deck and the quarterdeck. I’ve also noticed that the small ships boats maybe incorrect as well which is not a good look?

BTW, what’s your plan for the two forward mounted PomPom guns? As I’ve seen different mounted versions to what the instructions say?

 

And one question what was the overall colour to the around 1941 to it’s final demise? Again I’ve seen a two tone dark grey of 507A & 507C on the lower hull with paint peeling showing 507C on the upper half of the hull after it received a beating in the Atlantic Ocean. As I have cunning plan to depict it after one of its Atlantic Ocean sorties with a technique I haven’t used since Art classes at  intermediate and high school. 

 

The other I’m thinking is around during the Battle of Norway, which I’ve just finished a couple of Ebook’s on the subject on Kindle. Was it 507C or 507A? 

Assuming the Trumpy 1/700 boats are equivalent to the Merit 1/350 ones (which I assume they are, since everything else was clearly tooled from the same design - e.g. identical scuttle errors), they’re pretty generic.  Lots of discussion of this in my build, & again it depends on how much you care, frankly; I’ve ended up acquiring a complete new set of boats from Shapeways. 
 

As for the colour... potential can of worms!  Since mine is depicted at a specific moment, she will be in the 507C showing through peeling 507A that you mention.  I am very dubious about the alleged 2-tone scheme that some pictures appear to show around the time of her sinking.  I don’t believe it was ever a deliberate 2-tone scheme; I just think it shows where the ship’s company had patched the paint in snatched periods alongside in Gib between Malta runs etc., but without proper staging and the time for a genuine full repaint, they were limited in how high they could reach up the hull.  The underside of the round down, for instance, would have needed proper dockyard staging / scaffolding to prepare and paint fully - which is why IMHO it started to look mottled and shabby very early in the war as she operated in all weathers, and continued to deteriorate gradually.  
 

Ark was due a US refit not that long after she was sunk, and had she lived that long no doubt she’d have emerged camouflaged like her younger Illustrious class cousins.  But until then I reckon the “band” along the lower hull just shows you how high they could reach without dockyard support...

 

But you’ll find others who are equally convinced of deliberate two-tone schemes (despite no other ship having one in that pattern at that point in the war, as far as I know).  The joys of B&W photos!

[Exkiwiforces]

Well it’s been interesting a couple of weeks since my last post. We have hit peak fire season here in the Nth’ern NT a few weeks earlier than normal and it was kicked off by going straight to catastrophic fire warning for 8 days straight. With temperatures in some places in the mid to high 38 degrees and humidity well into the single figures with wind gusts up to 60kts. Got the shits with the model especially with trumpies casting of this model! Who the bloody hell does to a a model reference the funnel cap? Just plain stupid from trumps and this is one of the reasons why I hate doing their models. Wish Flyhawk would pump a few more WW2 models out.

 

.

Lost a 4.5 gun while assembling the gun shields and I eventually found it on Monday, anyhow they are all assembled and painted including the 4 Pom Pom Guns. The offending 4.5in gun that went MIA.

 

The main Ships armaments have been primed for painting.

 

The finished product.

 

 The flight deck is painted, but I’m not happy with it, so might be investing in a spray kit for the flights decks. The .5 quad guns are painted and the shields are drop down. The superstructure is only a dry fit as I’m awaiting some more paints from Sydney atm.

 

 

I’ve had to order more of Jamie’s paints so I started a on this wee carrier and OMG what an outstanding model and the detail. It’s worthy of almost of a perspex deck just to show the detail in the hanger and other internal parts of this model.

 

I got a nice birthday present from my folks in NZ of Flyhawks POW deluxe edition, but it weren’t be done atm as l haveback log of other incomplete works that need to be done first. Also I’ve got to purchase a wooden deck for this model.

 

Anyway that’s it for the moment, as I’m out bush next week with the kids (the dogs) 

Edited August 30, 2020 by Exkiwiforces

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday Ex, the Ark is looking good, I think. Glad you found the awol 4.5 twin. Are you missing two octuple pompoms? I see four mountings, I thought the ship carried six. And that new carrier, is it HMS Hermes? Enjoy your time out bush, but be careful of naked flames. 🙂      Regards, Jeff.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Depends when you’re modelling her; the two port side Pom-Poms were only fitted in Summer 1941 (though the sponsons were there from build).  There was apparently some concern that they might interfere with flight deck ops at the start, so they waited a bit - in fact she only had them for a few weeks before she was sunk

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday, and thanks, I didn't know that. Regards, Jeff.

[Terry1954]

I also have the Flyhawk Hermes Jeff and I have to agree it is quite superb. Although their size differences are obvious to those familiar with these carriers, it was only having both in my hands that I could see how small Hermes was in comparison!

 

Your Ark is coming together nicely.

 

Terry

 

 

 

 

[Exkiwiforces]

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks. We had a running bush fire a couple of kms from our house with a cab rank of 4-5 fire bombers above our house before they headed towards the fire line.

 

Then the wife brought me a display cabinet for my diecast planes,  my Matchbox Fire Engines and the Emergency Vehicles. 

 

 

 

Among other things, I got round to doing a few things on with the Ark Royal. Yes HMS Hermes is a very small carrier indeed compared with some of the monsters that Japan were building as they were following the RN at the time and they had the smarts of not following the Brits IRT to aircraft design or the resulting BS between the Admiralty and the Air Ministry.

 

 

The deck is finally on but, we have a problem Houston!

 

I had a few issues mating the flight deck to the hull. I had to bog up around the round down and around the bow. 

Once the bog had cured I started to apply the paint using a old brush to give its weathering effect then using a lighter mid grey aka 507B. The superstructure is attached, most of the main guns down one side are attached and the catapult lane is now painted black. 

 

 

Will start the the two cranes sometime this week and attached the various small boats. Before I start the mast and the hockey sticks.

The other good news is the very very start to the wet over the weekend, so once I’ve knocked off the Hermes as there is no news on my little boats for the other carrier atm so I’ll start finishing those unfinished projects that I’ve started.

Edited September 21, 2020 by Exkiwiforces

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday, I've seen those aircraft many times, in fact I've been bombed by them.

     It looks like your Ark is going to have a very weathered look about it. And I agree that showing the two carriers together isn't very flattering to Hermes. It does look very small. Regards, Jeff.

[Exkiwiforces]

22 hours ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

Gidday, I've seen those aircraft many times, in fact I've been bombed by them.

     It looks like your Ark is going to have a very weathered look about it. And I agree that showing the two carriers together isn't very flattering to Hermes. It does look very small. Regards, Jeff.

Yeah mate considering this time last yr we had 3 running Fires which was unheard of in the Nth’ern NT and a half dozen this season had a lot of people on edge as we are not meant to get running fires due to the soil moisture content that we should get with a normal Nth’ern Oz wet season. But this yr the rains have 2mths early this yr and we have smashed the September rainfall records already since Adam was still in his birthday suit with more to come before September is out. 

 

I’m hoping I haven’t over done the weathering as I’m trying to achieve a 1940’s- 41 look before she was sunk as she flogged like dead horse after the RN lost two of its Fleet Carriers for stupid reasons early in the piece. 

[Exkiwiforces]

Well it was a slow and steady afternoon, the .5 quads are on, the ships small boats & associated equipment are attached. I was expecting this to be wee tricky job but it wasn’t well apart one motor launch and that was shoved in the back of the bay.

 

 

 

 

 

Trail fit the Oct Pom Pom guns, also I primed the  hockey sticks and the two cranes for tomorrow’s paint & fitting to the Ark. Minus the hockey sticks as I will do them after ive attached the mast and some other bit & bobs

 

 

.

[Exkiwiforces]

Since the  Illustrious Class Carrier went down the slipway yesterday, it’s time is finish of the Ark Royal. The main mast has been problematic as I had some issues with soldering, so I’ve reverted back to using superglue and at the moment it’s working, but I won’t know tomorrow afternoon if has worked when I painting. Also I started to paint the rear most arrestor wire in a Gun Mental colour to try and add some definition to the arrestor wires, so please let me know on how this works as I used cotton on the lusty build which seem to make the wires over scaled.

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway not much to do now with this build apart from adding more weathering effects. The Air Group I’ll down the track once I’ve added the rest of the Task Group together.

I’ve add some Black & White pictures of the Ark Royal as I’m currently  experimenting at some possible Diorama  scenarios in various settings

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Exkiwiforces]

Well I’ve been a bit slack of late with updates IRT to build, with what NZ Election, AB’s back on the giggle box and a few cockups with the Ark. 

It was going to plan with this, but main mast fell apart while I was painting it and trying to reassemble the mast was a pain in the bottom. 
Anyway it’s finally fixed, as today I’ve put the decals on which went ok until I review the pictures I took today and I realised the markings for port catapult are not straight. Oh well, how sad never mind.

Tomorrow will be some rigging and fitting of the hockey sticks.  

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, P.S I’ll pull my digit out and do a HMS Hermes (WW2) build post as that has creeped up on me.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

[Exkiwiforces]

Was going to say, I’ve finally finished Ark Royal. But I’ve left something off while I took the happy snaps yesterday afternoon, like the Illustrious build I’ll do the Air Group down the track once those other half completed builds are finished.